Darkness Within The Heart
by Twilight Mistress-19
Summary: Kagome has to face her worst enemy of all--herself. Please R&R!
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: Okay... Let's see... If I owened Inuyasha, do you REALLY think I'd be writing FAN fiction? Huh? Ha... Got ya speechless!

I hope you guys enjoy the story... I tried very hard to make it interesting. Please leave a review and tell me what you think!

Chapter One: Good-bye?

_He just stood there, staring at her with a sudden calmness reflected in his amber eyes, not really knowing what to say or how to say it. But she could tell who was on his mind… It was Kikyou, the former priestess who once was the sworn protector of the Shikon Jewel…And Inuyasha's first love. Kagome tried her best to avoid eye contact, tears threatening to fall from the corners of her eyes. 'No…' She thought. 'He's going to leave me… Now that the Shikon Jewel is complete, he has to fulfill the promise he made to Kikyou…This is where we part ways and I go back to my time…Forever…' She swallowed the lump forming in her throat, bowing her head slightly so that her bangs would cover her eyes. After several moments, she spoke._

"_S-so I guess this is it, huh? This is good-bye…" Kagome muttered softly, her voice trembling._

"_Yeah… I guess it is…" Kagome then grew silent again, letting all of what was happening sink in. She didn't want to say good-bye… Not after all the hardships that they overcame together… All of which they went through had brought her closer to him. And now she had to leave? Leave and never come back this time? Never be able to see, hear, or talk to him again? Everything she dreaded was now becoming reality. Yes, of course she knew that they'd have to face this day sooner or later, but a small part of her hoped that he'd change his mind about leaving with Kikyou, and ask her to stay with him…_

_The sky started getting darker as the sun slowly set behind the horizon, giving off a golden light that shone onto the surroundings and life forms below, while a gentle breeze brushed past the two figures standing alone in the forest. "Look… Kagome… I…" Inuyasha lowered his gaze onto the ground, ears slightly drooping. "I'm sorry… I want to stay… Believe me, I really do… But…I-I can't…" Kagome tried her best not to burst into tears, not to cry in front of him and show him just how much this was affecting her. But it kept getting harder for her to hold all of that emotion inside. _

"_You don't need to explain…I know why you're leaving… And I'm okay with it…I understand that you still love Kikyou and now are willing to go to hell with her, just like you promised… But there's one thing that I want you to promise me before you go…" Inuyasha looked at her, picking up the scent of her tears that hung in the air. She was crying. She was crying because of him and what was happening. If it was his choice, he wouldn't choose at all. It was too hard. However, he knew that he made a promise to Kikyou, and he fully intended to keep it. Kagome would find someone else. He was sure of it. She'd definitely find someone who was a lot better than a worthless half-breed. "Inuyasha…I want you to promise that you'll never forget about me and the others, and all the things that we've accomplished together to get to where we are…"_

"_Kagome…How could I ever forget you? You've taught me so much…Like how to trust again…And I'm grateful for that. So no, Kagome, I'll never forget you. That's a promise." With that, he turned away from her, ready to take off towards the place where Kikyou waited for him. _

"_Wait!" _

"_Huh?" Looking back over his shoulder, he noticed that Kagome was slowly approaching him. He hated this… He hated seeing her this way… Without a second thought, he turned towards her again and took her into his arms, holding onto her tightly. 'Am I really making the right choice?' He thought to himself solemnly. _

"_Before you go… I just want to tell you that I love you… And that my feelings will never change…" _

"_Kagome… I…" Did he love her back? Yes. There was no doubt about it. Over time, he unknowingly started falling for her. But he also loved Kikyou, the one who sacrificed her life to save him. It was already decided for a while now. He had to go with Kikyou. There was no way he was turning back. "I love you too," Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Kikyou's soul collectors were gathering up ahead, signaling for him to follow. "But I have to go now, Kagome…Good-bye…" Slowly loosening his grip, he turned away from her, tightening his fists. "By the way… Keep the Jewel as a memento. That way you can come back here whenever you please and visit with the others," was the last thing Kagome heard him say before he broke into a run, wanting to getit over with as quickly as possible.Kagome then let herself drop to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably into her hands. _


	2. Nowhere To Be Found

DISCLAIMER: Do I own Inuyasha? Hm… I'll get back to you on that one… :rolls eyes:

Okay! The second chapter's up! Please review and happy reading to you all!

Chapter Two: Nowhere To Be Found

Silver moonlight shimmered radiantly on a crystal, clear lake, which was situated in the middle of a forest surrounded by a meadow full of different colored wild flowers, while darkness overtook everything else that was usually visible during the day. Silence, other than the sounds of wildlife, penetrated throughout the area, almost as though it was forbidden to speak or make any loud noise what-so-ever. Fallen cherry blossoms were carried gently across the gleaming water by the wind, making the surface ripple slightly in response. Not too far away, Kagome stared up at the starry sky, lost in thought about the earlier events that took place just a few days ago. 'Inuyasha… I'm really going to miss you…'

"Miroku…I'm concerned about Kagome…she hasn't been eating for the last few days, nor has she spoken much." Sango stated, hugging her knees to her chest. "What do you think we should do? If this keeps up, she'll become very ill!" Miroku sat close to the campfire, throwing twigs into it while trying to come up with a solution to the problem.

"Well, I can understand why she's acting this way," He said as he shifted his gaze from the fire over to Sango, giving her a quick glance before he continued. "It's not uncommon after this sort of thing happens. However, we need to let Kagome know in any way possible that we're here for her if she needs us. All we can do is support her and try to get her to look after herself."

"Do you think she'll ever be the same again?"

"I'm not sure… I'd like to think so." Sango sighed sadly, feeling great sympathy for her best and close friend. How could Inuyasha do this to her! Couldn't he sense the pain he was causing for Kagome! In less than an instant, she felt her blood start to boil, her anger rising at the thought of the hanyou. But all that emotion and stress was cast away when a single arm enveloped around her shoulders, causing a faint blush to creep up onto her cheeks.

"Miroku? What are you…" The young demon slayer found herself at a loss of words.

"You should probably try and get some rest. We'll talk further more on this tomorrow if we need to." Miroku pulled her closer to him, leaning his head against hers.

'For once he's not being his lecherous self…' Sango thought, smiling a bit. Soon after closing her eyes, she fell asleep leaning against the monk, who followed in a short amount of time.

Kagome could just picture the scene with Inuyasha and Kikyou, embracing each other, looking death straight in the eye as they were slowly being pulled into the gateway of hell. 'I wish he'd have chosen to stay…I wanted nothing more than for him to live…' Her shoulders shook as she buried her face into her hands, making it obvious to anyone that she was crying. She just couldn't take it anymore. Nothing could describe this kind of pain. Nothing. It seemed to control her every action, her every thought. Oh, how she would give anything to make all the pain disappear, to make it stop hurting. She envied Kikyou. She envied her because of the fact that she could be with Inuyasha, knowing that she could never find someone as special as he was. Wrapped up in her grief, she didn't notice the demon that had crept behind her, looking at her thoughtfully.

"Priestess!" Kagome twirled around to face the demon while forcing herself to her feet, startled, cursing herself for not sensing any demonic auras. Had she'd known that there was a demon nearby, she would've gone back to camp, where she knew it was safe. 'That would explain the eerie silence…' She countered. The demon that stood a few feet away from her folded his arms over his chest, his face twisting in disgust. "I would've thought you'd be much more experienced than this, priestess. Surely _you_ can't be the re-incarnation of Kikyou. She, on the other hand was always ready for these types of situations."

The demon had long, black hair that was tied back in a braid and had red eyes, tainted with the hatred he held towards everything that he crossed paths with. On his face, he had many battle scars, each telling a story of their own. He wore golden armor, making him look rather tough looking, and at his side, had a long blade that he often used in battle, most of the time successful in killing his enemy. You could say that he looked pretty human-like, if it weren't for his eyes and his pointy ears.

"W-what do you want from me?" Kagome stammered, taking one step back. She hadn't the slightest idea of what he was planning to do and looked around for anything she could use to defend herself, but found nothing.


End file.
